


Changes

by sinofwriting



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-10
Updated: 2020-02-10
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:42:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22645084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sinofwriting/pseuds/sinofwriting
Summary: 11. "Just talk to me."
Relationships: Oliver Queen & Thea Queen, Tommy Merlyn & Oliver Queen
Kudos: 17





	Changes

**Author's Note:**

> I know you requested Tommy/Oliver, but I honestly couldn't help but write this as more of a platonic things, although I could definitely see this as Pre-Relationship.

Oliver stands with his arms crossed over his chest, ignoring what his sister is yelling at him. It’s not until she says his name and sounds like she’s crying that his attention is solely on her. “Just talk to me, Ollie.”  
His eyes shut for a few seconds, before he pulls her into his arms for a hug. He can feel her shaking against him as her hands grab at his shirt, holding on as tight as she can. “I can’t talk about it, Thea. There’s things that happened on that island that I can’t talk about with anyone. It’s too much.” He’s surprised that his voice sounds like he might start to cry to and that he’s being truthful. He had been so careful to let everyone think that he hadn’t changed, but he realized that wasn’t going to work. He couldn’t keep up a mask like that, not when he was already putting up a different one.  
“Will you try?” When he doesn’t reply, she pushes him. “It doesn’t have to be with me, but talk to someone, Ollie. I needed my brother and I still need him, but I don’t feel like I have him back yet. You don’t even have to tell them everything or any details, you can be as vague as you’d like, but you need to talk to someone. I really need my brother back.”  
“What if he isn’t there anymore?”  
He can feel her start to cry at his question, “I know he is. Because you’re holding me like you’re trying to protect me and that’s all you’ve been doing since you came back even if you’ve been doing it in the wrong ways.” She pulls away from him. “Find someone to talk to, Ollie. Before it’s too late.” 

Her words stick with him for the rest of the day and he can tell that his behavior is confusing everyone. He’s not surprised that it’s Tommy who says something, when they get back to the older’s apartment. 

“You okay, man?”  
“No.” He watches as Tommy looks surprised by the truthful answer, before sitting down across from him.  
“Do you want to talk about it?” It’s clear that he’s expecting a no, but despite expecting a no he’s holding himself in a way that shows that if Oliver does want to talk, Tommy will listen. And listen he does. Before Oliver knows it he’s spilling everything that happened while he was away, he skips certain parts that just hurt too much too talk about and he’s doesn’t give him all the details, but he gives enough. 

After he’s done, he feels lighter and he waits for Tommy to process it all and when he does Tommy simply smiles at him, but it’s heartbreaking in a way. “I wish you had never gone through any of that, but in a selfish way I’m happy you did, because you got home, even if you have changed. Which isn’t a bad thing, Oliver.” 

It’s silent between the two, before Tommy has to ask, having connected the dots easily enough. “So, how exactly does this Hood business work?”  
Oliver’s head snaps up to look at him. That had been the one thing he hadn’t mentioned. “How did you?”  
Tommy shrugs, “I might’ve lied to the police about the kidnapping and besides you learned all of that stuff on the island, you come back and suddenly the hood pops up? I had already guessed as much, I just didn’t want to say anything.”  
“It doesn’t bother you that I'm a murderer?”  
Suddenly Tommy changes, he becomes more serious than Oliver thinks he’s ever seen him. And despite knowing that Tommy had changed while he was away this was the first time he felt like he was really seeing. “You’re Oliver, not a murderer. Besides, can you tell me that they didn’t deserve it?”  
Oliver shakes his head, unable to.  
His shoulders drop slightly, “Alright then. Now, you’ve got a shit ton of movies to catch up on and I refuse to show you anything but all the disney movies you’ve missed first.” 

Oliver settles into the couch as Tommy rambles about one of the movies that came out, a warm feeling blanketing him for the first time since he’s come back home.


End file.
